Cables and ropes are used in a variety of applications, in one of the most simplistic forms a rope can be used to tie or secure items down, provide a means for an individual to climb or pull an item up an obstacle (e.g., mountain, tree, wall etc.). More complex usages relate to a cable, rope or other item providing a means for allowing a mechanical force to be applied to an item requiring movement, wherein direct connection between the device providing the mechanical force is either not feasible or would adversely impact the actual mechanical force being applied.
As the amount of force applied to the flexible connector, cable, rope etc. increases the tensile strength of the connector must also increase otherwise the connector will snap and the force will not be applied to the item. Furthermore, mechanical devices (e.g., motors, pulleys, drums, gears) are used to increase the force applied and/or allow the driving device and its related components to be located in a compact space. Therefore, as the required load of the flexible connector increases the flexibility, weight and cost of the connector may be adversely impacted (e.g., a higher rated steel cable usually requires more strands thus the cable becomes more costly, less flexible etc.).
Driving cables are often used in many power and manual products for effecting movement of an item. Typically these cables are constructed from a plurality of metal wires with metal end fittings. The metal wires and the metal end fittings are usually constructed of steel or stainless steel. One drawback of these types of cables is that the cable may lack the bending strength and/or flexibility acceptable for use with small pulleys that are used to accommodate smaller packaging requirements. For example, these metal driving cables often create higher bending stress when used at a smaller bending radius. Thus, there exists a need for a driving cable which can perform at lower temperatures and demonstrates acceptable strength and flexibility for use with smaller bending radius.
One example of a usage of a metal driving cable is in vehicular applications wherein the cable is used in a variety of applications to effect movement of sliding doors, lift gates, hoods and trunks, windows and latches. In any of the aforementioned uses the cable may be required to traverse through at least one pulley or a series of pulleys, be secured to a moving item and the item which effects movement of the moving item. Furthermore, the cable may be required to be wound on to and off of a cable drum or spool in order to take up and release slack of the cable. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a driving cable that provides greater flexibility and bending strength than a typical metal cable. Also, metal cables may produce vibrations and noise when in use, which may be undesirable in some applications. Thus, it is also desirable to provide a driving cable that reduces noise and vibrations often present with metal cables, and the flexibility of and the bending strength of the cable, as compared to steel alternatives, allows the driving system to be simplified and reduced in size, thus increasing performance.